


Get Well Soon

by orphan_account



Series: Nico, Brave and Short (Or, the Adventures of Jean and Marco's Little Boy) [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 09:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2728049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Papa had once told Nico that his father was one of the best healers back in his hometown of Jinae, and that he had learned a lot from watching his father work. But in Nico’s opinion, Papa was the best healer. So when Daddy came down with the flu, Nico was confident that Daddy was in good hands.<br/>…But still, all great healers could use a little help, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Get Well Soon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Marque](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marque/gifts).



> Written for jeannikitakirschtein.  
> This is a fanfic featuring my OC, Nicolas, who is the biological son of Marco Bott and adopted son of Jean Kirschtein. I roleplay Nico on the tumblr blog nico-the-brave.  
> For those who don’t know: “Daddy” is Jean [Kirschtein] and “Papa” is Marco [Bott]

Papa had once told Nico that his father was one of the best healers back in his hometown of Jinae, and that he had learned a lot from watching his father work. But in Nico’s opinion, _Papa_ was the best healer. His voice was always soft and his hands were always gentle. He could whip up salves and other simple remidies from the herbs he grew in their tiny backyard. He even knew to give Nico something sweet to chase down the bitter taste of medicine.

Yes, Papa was the best healer. So when Daddy came down with the flu, Nico was confident that Daddy was in good hands.

…But still, all great healers could use a little help, right?

Bearing a bundle of assorted items in his tiny arms, Nico snuck down the hallway that led to his parents’ bedroom. He tried to be as quiet as he could, avoiding the floorboards he knew were creaky and trying not to let his shoes stomp on the scuffed wood. Nico kept his ears tuned for the sound of Papa coming upstairs; Papa had told Nico not to bother Daddy while he was resting.

But Nico wasn’t going to bother Daddy. He was going to help him feel better!

Nico finally reached the bedroom door. Papa had left it adjar, and through the crack Nico could see Daddy’s still form on the bed, covered in thick blankets. His amber eyes were cracked open, staring groggily at the ceiling.

Daddy must be feeling a little better; he was awake!

Shifting the bundle of items in his arms, Nico gently pushed the bedroom door open. It swung inward with a muted creak.

"Daddy?" Nico whispered.

A semi-coherent moan was his response.

Nico shuffled over to the bed, and plopped his precious cargo down on the mattress. Weakly, Daddy lifted his head off the pillow to look at Nico.

"What’s all this?" Daddy asked. His voice sounded nasally and raw; his nose was stuffed and he had a sore throat.

Nico beamed. "I’m going to make you feel better, Daddy!"

Daddy’s eyebrows crinkled a little. "Does Papa know about this?"

Nico shook his head. He rummaged through the items he had brought with him. "Nope. Papa’s downstairs making that stinky medicine that unstuffs your nose. He told me not to bother you when you’re resting, but I’m not going to bother you, Daddy! And you’re not resting anyway ‘cause you’re not asleep…right, Daddy?"

Daddy let his head roll back against the pillow with a moan. Nico took that as a "no."

Nico grabbed the baby blue blanket he had taken off of his bed. It was too tiny to fit over all of Daddy, so he put it on his father’s broad chest. "Papa said you need extra blankets, Daddy, so this’ll keep you warm," Nico explained. He then tucked a shabby-looking stuffed horse in next to Daddy. Buchwald the horse was Nico’s closest and dearest companion; he went everywhere with Nico. "Buchwald will keep you company too, Daddy, ‘cause you look lonely up here all by yourself."

"Thank you, Nico," Daddy croaked.

"I’m not done yet, Daddy!" Nico said excitedly, perhaps a little too loudly since Daddy winced a bit. But Nico had saved the best for last; he held up a board book with a picture of a green and red caterpillar on the front, a hand-me-down from Grandma Kirschtein that had been in the family for generations. " You read stories to me when I’m sick, and it always makes me feel better, so I’m going to read to you so you feel better, too!"

"You don’t have to, Nico," Daddy said, but Nico had already scrambled up onto the mattress next to him and proudly announced the title, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

The old book’s spine creaked ominously as Nico carefuly opened it. Slowly and somewhat haltingly, he began to read: _"In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf…"_

\- - - - -

"…he was a beautiful butterfly!"

Nico proudly finished the story. He turned a little to show the old but still vibrant illustration of the colorful butterfly to Daddy.

Daddy was asleep. His mouth was wide open, and he was softly snoring.

Before Nico could react one way or another, a voice came softly from the doorway, "Very good reading, Nico."

Nico turned. Papa was smiling faintly as he stepped into the bedroom, carrying an open jar of salve that smelled strongly of mint. "But I thought I told you not to bother Daddy while he’s resting."

Nico hung his head, chided. "But I wasn’t bothering Daddy; I was making him feel better! And he wasn’t asleep, so—"

"Hush, Nico. Not so loud." Papa held a finger to his lips. "I can see you’re trying to make Daddy feel better. And do you know what? I think you suceeded."

Nico brightened. "Really?"

Papa nodded. He set the jar of salve down on the bedside table and scooped Nico up in his strong arms. "I’ve been up all night with Daddy, trying to get him comfortable enough to fall asleep, but with no luck. " Daddy smiled lovingly, gently tapping Nico on the nose with a finger. "Your reading distracted him enough from his discomfort to let him fall alseep. It looks like you’re going to make a great healer one day, kiddo."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! :)


End file.
